Though it might vary from location to location, know when the photos are going to come out in the most striking way possible (whatever that might mean for your personal vibe). “Often the best hours for outfit photos are later in the afternoon,” says Chantal van Der Meijden. “I call them the ‘magic hours!’ When the sun is near the horizon and gives a soft hazy front light.” WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY: The simplest change you can make is to start following stylish people on places like Instagram. It’ll give you a double whammy: It’ll expose you to great style and give you some inspiration, but it’ll also create an environment where dressing well is “normal”. Need some stylish Instagram recommendations? Check out this post I wrote about my favorite stylish Instagrams here. On the flip side, this option is “free”, but is going to take more time on your end. Before you reach out to an expert for advice, make sure you do your homework. Experts are often busy people. Make sure you search if they answered the questions you want to ask before. Skim through their blogs, Twitter, check if they’ve been interviewed on a podcast or magazine. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, only then should you consider reaching out to them. For that, I highly recommend reading this post: “How to get the attention of your favorite expert” The spring collections always encourage designers to wax bohemian — a flower here, a fringe there. But what seemed different this season was where, and how frequently, these ideas appeared. Chloé and Paco Rabanne in Paris were leaders of the pack, each constructing garments from layers of contrasting floral prints that evoked exotic gardens. Patchwork and fringe were reimagined too, as was the case at Altuzarra, where seashell-embellished net sheaths topped knit dresses. Finally, at Etro, flowing paisley dresses were worn with vibrantly patterned wool blankets. — M.J.G.

If you already love and wear a particular brand, don’t just ask to be added to the list—also let the agency know why your blog would be an excellent fit and send links of posts where you’ve worn the brand before. Also try directly reaching out to emerging brands that may not be large enough to have their own agency—they’re likely excited to grow their own following and eager to work with you.

When in your dashboard, you will see a Bluehost button located in the upper left corner. After clicking on this button, you will be prompted with various tools that can be used for blog customization. These are the only tools you will need to customize your blog, so change what you want and when finished press the launch button to complete your blog.

It's a little awkward, so we'll get straight to the point: This Thursday we humbly ask you to protect Wikipedia's independence. We depend on donations averaging about $16.36, but 99% of our readers don't give. If everyone reading this gave $3, we could keep Wikipedia thriving for years to come. The price of your Thursday coffee is all we need. When we made Wikipedia a non-profit, people warned us we'd regret it. But if Wikipedia became commercial, it would be a great loss to the world. Wikipedia is a place to learn, not a place for advertising. It unites all of us who love knowledge: contributors, readers and the donors who keep us thriving. The heart and soul of Wikipedia is a community of people working to bring you unlimited access to reliable, neutral information. Please take a minute to help us keep Wikipedia growing. Thank you.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY: Go to a store that you would consider out of your budget. A place that might even be uncomfortably expensive for you. You don’t have to buy anything. Just walk around, touch the clothes. Maybe even try something on. Make mental note of how things fit, feel, and how you feel wearing it. Then go to a fast fashion shop like Zara or H&M and try similar items on. Make note of what’s different and what’s similar. Anything surprising?

Don't Pretend It Fits: We've all been there, standing in the dressing room and convincing ourselves that the button will magically stay closed when we get home (and then, of course, it doesn't). These are the times where we have to accept that our bodies have changed in one way or another, and buy clothes that fit. Because you know what happens to the clothes that don't fit (cue garbage bags being dropped off at Goodwill here).

There are many quality fashion blogs, which unsurprisingly feature high-quality photographs of the latest fashion innovations. Most fashion blogs are full of inspiration for those mornings you open your wardrobe door with your mind in a blank. They make an ideal place to begin your online research into what’s hot this year before you head off to purchase your own outfits. They can also provide you with ideas about what you can mix and match to create that perfect look.

Dylan Suarez of Color Me Nana stresses the importance of your reader-base. “Keep a conversation going with other bloggers out there,” she suggests. “Click on the comments on the blogs you like and research new people in the community you don’t know,” adding, “If you like the content, leave a comment! Or send an email. It’s all a domino effect. Blogging is very much built on community and conversation, so that has to be the main focus.”
Just like your posts on trending topics, the best pitch to a media outlet is a story that relates to something that’s currently hot in the news or that’s coming up around the corner. (For example: Pitch a local morning show on presenting fall fashion trends from stores all found in your city.) You’ll also want to show your credibility by linking to past guest posts, media mentions, or accomplishments, as well as why you’re the perfect expert for the story. No, it’s not easy, and it does take time, but as you build your blog and following, it’ll become easier to pitch yourself. Can we all stop fiddling with our smartphone filters and beautification apps for a minute? It’s time for a healthy heaping of irreverence, gratitude and common sense. First off, thank you to Spanx for creating shapewear arm tights that compress upper-arm dangle (but we've got it covered); New York Fashion Week for giving models over age 50 a record 10 runway appearances out of 2,601 (but you can do better); and France for passing a law stating all altered advertising photos must carry a "retouched" warning (but we know a fake when we see it — from a phony Chanel bag to a filler-enhanced face). Instead, here are 10 age-positive ways to start the holiday season. About Blog The Blonde Salad is much more than a blog today , it's a real source of inspiration and style for millions people in Italy and around the world. Chiara Ferragni collaborates today with the major Fashion Houses, she appears in the most read magazines, she is the creative director of her shoe line which is entirely Made in Italy and she has been named by Business of Fashion as one of the most influential personalities.
About Blog Hi, I am Kier Mellour. On this blog, you will find weekly “I want that” posts where I share my current cravings, style inspiration posts, and personal outfits for a variety of events and travel destinations. There will be videos of thrift store hauls, current favorite products, as well as, thorough reviews on clothing, accessories, and lifestyle products.

“For men and women, jewelry is the defining path for creating your own look and vibe. Research designers that are new and untapped (they exist in just about every city these days), and with Etsy and the internet, you have really no excuses. And don’t forget the supportive accessories. I don’t just mean investing in a nice watch and handbag. Ditch the old umbrella and cheap shades and upgrade already!” —Mr. Russell

Vancouver, Canada–based blogger Vanessa Hong manages not only her wildly successful blog, The Haute Pursuit, but also her accompanying fashion line, THP Shop, which is beloved by editors and street style stars alike. She's also a mainstay at every fashion week and a street style star in her own right—photographers love shooting her uniquely edgy, contemporary style.

"…All of a sudden they'll get really good, and then I just start out there, frantically trying to collect as many as I can. One of the things I like to think about is, here I am, with my little piece of cardboard, in the middle of a continent where it's snowing all the time, and so I'm catching some incredibly small number of these things for a brief period, and getting some really cool pictures. So you kind of wonder, what else is out there? What are you missing? I mean, imagine just all the beautiful little works of art that are just falling down, totally unnoticed, and then they just disappear. Stuff that is far prettier than the pictures I have. 'Cause they're out there, you know they're out there. Statistically, they're out there, so you know, there's just an awful lot of really gorgeous things, that are just totally ephemeral and you'll never see them. And they're falling constantly. You sorta wanna just stop the world and go look at them."
Los Angeles blogger and fashion influencer Julie Sarinana shares her personal style inspiration on "Sincerely Jules," a blog she launched when attending the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Julie has a laid back, approachable, Cali-girl style that often sees her mixing Gap with Gucci, and wearing vintage and flea market finds as well as items from mass retailers. Given her easy, casual approach to getting dressed, it makes sense that she also has her own line of screen print t-shirts, printed with inspirational and humorous quotes. More »

I don't actually think these events really happened to me, but they'll still come to mind when I think back on a time when a secondhand event seemed to hold some kind of truth that reality did not. Example: I felt all weird and drifty at the beginning of last summer, and when I try and revisit that place, I don't literally imagine the view from behind a car windshield and how everything must look to the narrator in Yo La Tengo's "Today Is the Day," but I sure remember the exact sadness that it captured.

Why: Since stumbling across this gorgeous blog, our lives have been so much more colourful. Jess goes beyond the standard #OOTD posts and her site’s a sartorial treasure trove full of styling advice, galleries and even some tips for budding bloggers if you’re thinking of making this list some day. Her masterfully saturated and unique photography is what sets her apart from the rest of the pack and we still can’t stop thinking about her guide to wearing colour this spring… Today is the last day of 2017. This was a crazy and unforgettable year of my life. I’m so grateful for everything that happened (even the bad things), all the people I’ve met and all the things that are going to happen in 2018. Love you all and thank you for always supporting me ♥️ #blessed #bye2017 #🌴 #🇧🇷 #🧜🏽‍♀️ photo by one of my faves of 2017 @marianne_fonseca 🌊
True style is really learning to take a look and make it all your own. Whether you add a personal accessory — like something vintage or ethnic — or you wear a look that's all your own (maybe you like to mix in '80s pieces with modern or you like to wear color-blocked looks everyday) finding your signature style is one of the most rewarding things about really loving fashion. Dress Your Age: Janice Dickinson doesn't look 57, but she is. We're not going to lie, she looks great, but let's face it, it's a tad tacky when 50-somethings try sporting an outfit you'd normally find on 20-somethings — and vice versa. However, tinsel town allows celebrities more leeway than the real world does for us ordinary folk. As a rule of thumb, stick to age appropriate attire.

If you always wear jeans, try swapping them out for a dress one day per week; if you’re a fan of flats, slip into a pair of heels every Friday night. Getting out of your comfort zone is a good way to challenge yourself, in both the sartorial and self-confidence department. “I try to pick one silhouette each season that’s new to add to my wardrobe,” Fisher explained. She prefers wearing pants, so this year, she’s trying out more skirts and dresses—and has even learned a lesson from this experiment: “I find skirts and dresses much easier to put together at 6AM in the morning!”

Donate Clothes You'll Never Wear: Stop hoarding. If you haven't worn it recently, then you probably never will. To help decide if you should toss it or not, the experts at Apartment Therapy suggest you answer the following questions: Do you like cut, fabric and colour? Are you comfortable wearing it? Does it fit you now (no, not if you lose 3 inches off your waist in the next month)? Can any damages like stains or holes be fixed? Do you have more than one place to wear it? Can it be combined with other articles of clothing in your closet? When was the last time you wore it (if it's been over a year, nix it)? Source: Apartment Therapy On the flip side, this option is “free”, but is going to take more time on your end. Before you reach out to an expert for advice, make sure you do your homework. Experts are often busy people. Make sure you search if they answered the questions you want to ask before. Skim through their blogs, Twitter, check if they’ve been interviewed on a podcast or magazine. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, only then should you consider reaching out to them. For that, I highly recommend reading this post: “How to get the attention of your favorite expert”

The metallic was hard to ignore and played to the more glamorous moments seen in a number of collections. Hollywood-inspired iterations of silver came down the runway at Givenchy and Alexander McQueen, and it is only a matter of time before we see those gowns on the red carpet. At Louis Vuitton, we saw a more modern take on the metallic, a cool girls’ version of a cocktail dress, complete with strong shoulders and bare legs.

II. My understanding of death deepens. I think I'd always assumed I'd at least get to watch my funeral go down and have a few suspicions confirmed concerning who would write awkward "Happy Birthday! Miss you :(" messages on my Facebook wall long after I'd passed. I thought I'd get to still see how this whole "world" thing turns out: Do we all explode? Do things start to suck less first? Does everyone get sick of technology and start to live like the Amish, inspired by that one episode of Arthur? DO PEOPLE STILL WATCH ARTHUR?
"Reflecting and archiving is not the same as dwelling in the past. It is not anti-living, but a part of life, even a crucial one. We do this to highlight one thing above others, so that a special moment can take up more space in our brains than an inconsequential one; so that, by plain math, our personal worlds contain more good things and fewer bad ones. Or more interesting things and fewer blah ones, since you have to record the bad, too."
I don't actually think these events really happened to me, but they'll still come to mind when I think back on a time when a secondhand event seemed to hold some kind of truth that reality did not. Example: I felt all weird and drifty at the beginning of last summer, and when I try and revisit that place, I don't literally imagine the view from behind a car windshield and how everything must look to the narrator in Yo La Tengo's "Today Is the Day," but I sure remember the exact sadness that it captured. One of the new season's most feminine trends came by way of bows. Losing its prissy connotations, they came in vibrant red at Valentino, and in sorbet shades at Emilia Wickstead and Erdem. They were particularly pervasive at London Fashion Week, where they adorned the backs of dresses at Wickstead, Preen and Delpozo. If following suit feels too saccharine, then tailor a polished ponytail with a bow instead like on the Emilia Wickstead catwalk, a look that's has already inspired Poppy Delevingne.
A sloppily cuffed jean. An ill-fitting blazer. A dress that shows just a little too much to be referred to as "tastefully sheer." These are the things that fashion editors and stylists can spot from a million miles away. To those in the biz, the proper proportions of a crop top may be obvious, but for those seeing the trends in a magazine or online, it can be a little trickier to know exactly how to wear everything. “Your makeup can make or break a great outfit so it’s important to know what works for you and what compliments your features and coloring. Contacting a professional can help you figure out how to make your makeup and clothing work together. Also know that even though many women want a ‘natural look’ it actually takes a lot of products and time to do it right.” —Brooke Baker, beauty and style consultant These makeup mistakes can make you look sloppy. 2. Get skin-tone glasses. Remember how skin-tone shoes elongate your legs? Skin-tone glasses restore structure to the face in the same way. Nude glasses are the fastest way to update your looks — especially in shades of amber, whiskey, honey, taupe or blush that are close to your own skin tone. See for yourself: Check out Kyra Sedgwick's stylish glasses in Ten Days in the Valley. Stay loyal to classic modified cat-eye and angular "nerd" styles. Case closed.
“Not enough people have heard of decision fatigue. Decision fatigue is the result of making too many decisions during the course of the day. All of these little decisions add up and actually drain the brain of decision-making power later on. So don’t waste your brainpower in the morning trying to get dressed. Instead get rid of things you can’t or don’t wear regularly and simplify your wardrobe to pieces you like. Keep your clothing simple, so you will have the energy to tackle life’s tougher problems.” —Dan Moyer Jr., stylist and national director of social media for Closet Factory You should finally get rid of these articles of clothing and accessories in your closet.

Stock Up On Basics: Known your essentials and stock up. These include white and black blouses, a little black dress, high heels, red lipstick, diamond studs, blue jeans and anything else that has a central role in your style. Remember, these looks are timeless so investing in certain items that are more expensive but higher in quality may be wiser because they will last longer.

Casual style is one of the most important and personality stating styles that you can opt for every day! And in order to be flabbergasting and blindingly beautiful all the time, you just need to know the basic tips and tricks about causal style. So that’s what we are going to speak about right now, pointing out the main tips and tricks concerning the causal style. The word itself hints about the effortlessness and the relaxed attitude you should have about this style. This is something like a counterbalance to the strict dress code characterized by the rigid dos and don’ts and certain rules that’s impossible to break. So here we present useful casual style tips for women that will polish your day-to-day street style looks to perfection!
A less strict style, which can also be used for business looks, combining the details of elegant and everyday styles is smart-casual. Giorgio Armani is believed to be the founder of this style, having shown the ways on how to add weightlessness and effortlessness to business looks. Other characteristic features of this style are the garments like comfy jumpers toping strict shirts with the unbuttoned top, etc. You can also cuff the sleeves and use a variety of accessories for complementing the looks including scarfs, earrings, or anything else, not being afraid of opting for bold color and design solutions.
“Does this accentuate the best version of who I am as a woman?” Brother Vellies designer Aurora James asks this, before buying a vibrant animal-print coat or an over-the-top dress. “For me, I love things that have a ‘wow factor,’ so if I’m going to splurge and buy something, I want it to be the clothing version of myself,” James explains. It’s a brilliant trick for making sure that your purchase is something you’ll actually wear; if you feel like yourself in a piece of clothing, you’re more likely to gravitate towards it when it’s hanging in your closet.
Fashion is a multibillion-dollar industry that has considerable impact on the way ordinary people dress and present themselves and relies heavily on media and advertising to communicate the producer's preferences and goals and influence public perception through various types of promotion; at the same time, fashion can be influenced by social change and counter-trends outside the producer, retailer or advertiser's control. As fashion is driven by trends within and without the fashion industry, fashion blogs and other "new media" outside the control of traditional establishment represent a disruptive innovation to the social dynamics of mass media and fashion consumption in modern consumer society. It is likely that the blogosphere will have a considerable long-term influence on the industry, as the number of fashion based blogs continue to grow, with increasing numbers of consumers able to create and modify the media that they consume, and traditional producers and advertisers adapting their practices to avoid dilution of their own influence. Turn your calculator on, since this step is all about your payment options. You can choose the 12-month account plan for the lowest price or you might want to consider making a longer commitment. The other two hosting packages will last you twice or thrice the time, and your monthly fee will be lower! As for the rest of the boxes, you can leave them unchecked for now if you want, and return to them when the need occurs.

When in your dashboard, you will see a Bluehost button located in the upper left corner. After clicking on this button, you will be prompted with various tools that can be used for blog customization. These are the only tools you will need to customize your blog, so change what you want and when finished press the launch button to complete your blog.

Rookie Yearbook Four, the print edition of our fourth year, comes out October 20: 352 pages of beautiful writing and art by young people, plus print-only contributions from people like Amandla Stenberg, Kiernan Shipka, Jazz Jennings, Dev Hynes of Blood Orange, Emma Roberts, Sarah Paulson, Charli XCX, DeJ Loaf, Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine, Donna Tartt, Shamir, Chloe of Kitten, Rashida Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross, Joy Williams, Hayley Williams of Paramore, Lorde, Tyler Ford, Ariana Grande, Edward Droste of Grizzly Bear, Solange, and Willow Smith. WHEW. See also: stickers, posters, a cut-out diorama and banner, ET CETERA FOREVER. I've never been able to choose a favorite Rookie Yearbook until now. It is our final one (senior year!) and I can't wait for Rookies THE WORLD OVER to see it. (Mr. Burns laugh, but in the name of good things like self-esteem and creativity.)
The New York-based Eadie, 29, is best known for her accessible, yet educated, approach to fashion. Based in San Francisco when she launched the blog, Eadie has worked as a merchandiser for brands like Gap and Tory Burch, which means she has a professional edge when it comes to outfit posts. And brands like love working with her because she has a reputation for converting readers into shoppers. Vancouver, Canada–based blogger Vanessa Hong manages not only her wildly successful blog, The Haute Pursuit, but also her accompanying fashion line, THP Shop, which is beloved by editors and street style stars alike. She's also a mainstay at every fashion week and a street style star in her own right—photographers love shooting her uniquely edgy, contemporary style.
“You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to look fantastic, however, we do tend to feel and act a little different when we wear things that are expensive. We treat those things differently too; with more care. We tell ourselves that they are special and that we are special when we wear them. But really it’s the mental story we assign to those items that make them special. Expensive things might trigger those feelings more easily but you can shine just as bright every day with ordinary things, just by acting as you would if they were expensive.” —Jennifer Lowe, stylist and designer for Water Vixen Swim Learn some more ways you can use clothing to influence your mood. “If you have a pear body type, look for styles that elongate your figure to take the emphasis away from your lower body. You want to draw attention to your upper torso, and the best ways to do that are with pairing dark colored bottom pieces with lighter shades and patterns up top. Think of bold patterns and necklines that have detailing like embellishments or ruffles. You should avoid skinny jeans and instead opt for boot cut or those with a slight flare. Showing your shoulders also helps in drawing attention upwards and balancing your top half with your bottom half proportions.” —Ms. Michniak Here are other denim mistakes you make that could ruin your outfit.
The ruffles perchance that dominated last summer will endure next year. For all those bored with languid, smooth shapes, cascades of frills subverted childlike associations this season. Simone Rocha's felt off-kilter, and Yves Saint Laurent's had a 1980s Prince appeal. Marc Jacobs, never one to buck to commercialism, designed his with dramatic flourishes and fantastical feathers.
Do we have Ines de la Fressange to thank for the ubiquity of “French girl style?” The author of “La Parisienne,” she might be responsible for defining exactly what “chic” means for a generation of wannabe French girls. These days, she’s one of the top fashion Instagram influencers who regularly collaborates with the brand Uniqlo to produce limited-edition collections, and managing her own lines. One of three plus-size bloggers chosen to star in the campaign for Target's new Ava & Viv collection, Gregg started her blog in 2008 when she couldn't find an entry-level job in fashion journalism. Now 28 and based in Los Angeles, the blogger has appeared on the "Today" show, designed a sell-out swimwear collection, and partnered with brands including Misguided, Nordstrom and Laura Mercier.
Athleisure is the trend that keeps giving, and its latest offering is as unexpected as it is stylish. The bike shorts were worn with blazers by many style-savvy showgoers this fashion month. Offering a fresh blend of sportswear and tailoring, the look was both striking and chic. Of course, while it may not be appropriate for either the office or the gym, the outfit is perfect for strutting the streets or attending Sunday brunch with your best friends. So, don’t be afraid to try it for yourself.
If a dream is not considered as valid as "real," conscious memory, then I'll still regard it in some corner of the mind as a tiny piece of my history and identity. In Chris Ware's Building Stories, one character is able to partially reconcile her life's regret of neglecting to pursue a creative career because she dreams she had written the book she'd always hoped to. The fact that this book could exist even in her subconscious fantasy was enough for her. Just the notion of her own potential had her wake up in tears. Nothing comes back the same way, and the jumpsuit of 2017 is not necessarily the same as a version from the '70s. Check out the difference in Raquel Welch's and Tilda Swinton's jumpsuits. There are subtle design tweaks that make any revival slightly different from the original. Does that piece from your "archive" really work now? Ask a trusted friend for a second opinion.

Fashion is a multibillion-dollar industry that has considerable impact on the way ordinary people dress and present themselves and relies heavily on media and advertising to communicate the producer's preferences and goals and influence public perception through various types of promotion; at the same time, fashion can be influenced by social change and counter-trends outside the producer, retailer or advertiser's control. As fashion is driven by trends within and without the fashion industry, fashion blogs and other "new media" outside the control of traditional establishment represent a disruptive innovation to the social dynamics of mass media and fashion consumption in modern consumer society. It is likely that the blogosphere will have a considerable long-term influence on the industry, as the number of fashion based blogs continue to grow, with increasing numbers of consumers able to create and modify the media that they consume, and traditional producers and advertisers adapting their practices to avoid dilution of their own influence.

“If you have a pear body type, look for styles that elongate your figure to take the emphasis away from your lower body. You want to draw attention to your upper torso, and the best ways to do that are with pairing dark colored bottom pieces with lighter shades and patterns up top. Think of bold patterns and necklines that have detailing like embellishments or ruffles. You should avoid skinny jeans and instead opt for boot cut or those with a slight flare. Showing your shoulders also helps in drawing attention upwards and balancing your top half with your bottom half proportions.” —Ms. Michniak Here are other denim mistakes you make that could ruin your outfit. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Loved connecting with many of you on social about some of the best holiday sales and promotions over the weekend. I’m excited to share another awesome find today - this bird print skirt which is on final clearance. (Only two sizes left - eek!) I couldn’t resist a print that is a prime opportunity to pair red and pink together, and the fact that it’s a bird print? Icing on the cake! 5. Switch to black jeans. Black jeans sharpen your silhouette and add an urban edge. They look dressier than blues (even dark-blue washes) and can substitute for real pants. Worn monochromatically with a black T-shirt, sweater or jacket and black booties or loafers, it's a strategy that's polished and pulled together, but comfy. Pick up a pair of black velvet jeans for extra-effortless glam this year.
It covers many aspects of men's fashion, from Menswear 101 to Outfit of the Day to Dressiquette. For instance, there are fascinating articles entitled “Braces or Belt, Never Both,” “Match Leather to Leather and Metal to Metal,” and “Dressiquette – Your socks should match your pants.” (Although your socks should match your pants, not your shoes, Sergio believes you only need to worry about this in formal situations – he prefers high-contrast brightly colored socks). Well, do you agree or disagree with me on this subject? I certainly have rather strong opinions on this, but it comes from years of seeing women unfortunately undermine themselves professionally by presenting themselves in a less than professional manner, stylishly speaking. So, as I mentioned, think of your outward aesthetic as an extension of your personal brand. Make the mark you want to leave when you come into contact with someone. You know how some people simply know how to wear the right clothes? There’s no mystery there, and actually, you could pull it off, too, by just thinking about what you’re wearing a little bit more. It all depends on how your body is built – you should tend to accent your features in the right way. For example, wearing V neck will make your torso look longer, and wearing nude pups will do miracles for the length of your legs. Embrace your shape and learn to love all its imperfections. This is where you should start – there’s no room for change if you don’t make it yourself. Open up your closet and take a good look at your clothes. You should ask yourself one simple question – if you were in a store right now, what items from your closet would you buy? It’s a very simple and quite efficient game you should play once in a while. If you want to stop spending hours in front of your closet, it needs to be neat and color coordinated – hoarding clothes always leads to a mess. All clothes you decide need to go shouldn’t be thrown away – donate them! That way, you’ll feel good about it.

Milliner Gigi Burris O’Hara is known for adding the most delicate details to her intricate hats, so she knows a thing or two about pulling together an outfit with panache. “Looking put together is very different than having it all together, it just takes a bit of mindfulness,” Burris O’Hara pointed out. “Make sure your shoes are shined and put on a hat—immediately you’ll look done.”

But some of the most creative and rewarding steps are ahead: for instance, finding a great theme for your blog. As mentioned before, WordPress assigned a default theme with installation, but just like in fashion, the same outfit doesn’t look good on everyone. Your default WordPress installation also comes with some sample pages and sample posts which you’ll want to remember to delete before moving forward. “‘Fashion’ is the tangible clothes, the ones you see in stores, in magazines, and on celebrities. Style, however, is intangible. Style is how you take the fashion and interpret it into an outfit or look that makes you feel like you. It’s not all about the fashion or trends but rather accepting yourself, working with what flatters your figure, finding what tickles your fancy and wearing wearing what makes you confident.” —Laurie Brucker, certified image consultant, personal stylist and speaker Fashion’s most unflattering women’s wear trend is far from a spot in our rearview mirrors. Skintight bike shorts pedaled their way onto scores of runways once again this season, having first emerged as a ’90s throwback reference at Off-White this time last year. At Fendi, in a look sported by Bella Hadid, they were long, navy and spandex, with shimmering streaks and a matching leather waist belt. At Roberto Cavalli, Paul Surridge presented a pair for after dark, in ochre with blue sequined embroidery. Over in Paris, the first look from the new creative director at Mugler, Casey Cadwallader, was an oversize, seamed black blazer and — you guessed it — matching biking shorts. And Jacquemus opted for an unforgiving knitted tangerine variation, to be worn with an oversize white shirt and the swagger of someone comfortable with having everything on show. Saddle up! — ELIZABETH PATON, European correspondent, Styles